By JOHN DRAKE
The outcome of tomorrow's second test at Marseilles will be a litmus test for the methods and selection policies of All Black coach Wayne Smith and his panel.
Win, and especially if it's done in a comprehensive fashion, and he'll be well justified in claiming he is on the right path. Overall, that would round off a pretty satisfying year.
Lose, and the same old questions which have been tossed about all season will remain. It's just about that simple. Take the lock-loose forward situation as an example.
Smith, Tony Gilbert and Peter Thorburn have looked to convert players I believe are better suited at blindside flank - such as Troy Flavell and Todd Blackadder - to lock.
There are two schools of thought on this. Personally, I have my doubts. I don't think in the long run you'd win a World Cup with converted players like that in the engine-room. But then it's a question of who you'd replace them with.
I have no issue at all with Blackadder in terms of his leadership, his guts and his work-rate. But his contribution still has to be questioned. Even at the kickoffs in the first test last weekend he didn't do that much.
There have been a range of views on how the All Black front row performed last weekend. I thought for the most part they did a good job.
Greg Somerville at tighthead was a rock. I was worried about Greg Feek on the loosehead side. I thought his technique might have been caught out.
He tends to bore in and it's quite dangerous against the French. I thought he did well.
If there was one piece of advice I'd give Somerville, Feek and Anton Oliver going into the second test, it would be to stand their ground.
People often talk about the French being intimidating or dirty but it's more a case of a strong physical presence.
I thought their front row underperformed in Paris. They traditionally are strong up front and I'm sure they'd have looked at us and seen no Meeuws, no Hoeft and thought they would have the wood on the All Blacks.
They won't be caught short this time, so our trio must be mentally hard and stick to their game plan and not get distracted. The opening 10 minutes will be critical, not just up front but right across the park.
If they withstand the early onslaught they'll have gone a long way towards victory.
My pick is for either a big All Blacks win, or a narrow defeat. That sounds like a big call, but if the game-plan is sound, and they carry it out efficiently, they have the capacity to rattle France.
If things don't go to plan, it'll be extremely difficult. France on a roll present a formidable challenge to any team. It will be a good test for the All Blacks, and Smith's philosophies. If they get two wins out of two in France they'll have done very well because that is a tough assignment.
A defeat, and there will be some hard thinking over the summer break for Smith and his panel.
href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=159627&thesection=Story&thesubsection=&reportID=56528">Test schedule/scoreboard
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